Cricket South Africa has taken ‘precautionary’ steps against two of its officials who posed with fans wearing Sonny Bill Williams masks.
The Australian team was outraged when they saw the photograph of Clive Eksteen, CSA’s head of commercial and marketing, and Altaaf Kazi, the organisation’s head of communications, alongside spectators wearing the masks as a ploy to taunt Australian opener and vice-captain David Warner.
CSA has apologised to the team and said that the two officials would be subject to ‘the organisation’s normal internal processes.’
It said it wished to distance itself from the ‘alleged action of certain officials’.
‘While CSA respects the rights of its fans to represent their own points of view, CSA does not associate itself with these actions and urges all Protea supporters to refrain from being involved in distasteful or unwelcome actions that may impact the image of the sport and its supporters.’
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CSA president Chris Nenzani said: ‘On behalf of CSA, I extend my sincere apologies to the Board of Cricket Australia (CA), its officials, team management, players and their families.’
The incident was a huge embarrassment for CSA as it tried to defuse a volatile situation which saw David Warner and Quinton de Kock being fined and given demerit points.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
